Return of the Dragon of the West
by GoddessOfTheUnderworld
Summary: Upon the arrival of his uncle's birthday, ex-Prince Zuko becomes determined to find Iroh and inform him of his change of loyalty. But as soon as Zuko leaves, followed secretly by Toph and Katara, nothing goes the way he planned. Katara/Zuko
1. Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, the Last Airbender, Dell Computer Company or any really good movies.**

**A/N This is the first chapter and hasn't really been edited, not to mention I typed it fast and didn't hand-write it first (which is unusual for me), but stick with me for a little while! And, yeah, it's short (which is also kinda strange for me) but I'm working on it!**

_Return of _The Dragon of the West

Zuko was lying on his bed in the Western Air Temple, staring at the ceiling with unfocused golden eyes, his mind lost to another time, to another world where no one but he could reach. It was his uncle's birthday, a day to celebrate a man who had been more like a father to Zuko than anyone else, a man whose instant wisdom could tame every fire– laterally. But Iroh was lost, to Zuko, to the Fire Nation, to the world. There had been no sight of him, anywhere, for months.

The ex-Prince rolled onto his side and studied the faded in portrait that was framed on his bedside table. He thought the picture did Iroh a cruel injustice– first off, there was no tea in sight. And besides that, the artist had missed the glimmer in his eyes and the wise words that had always been brimming on the tip of his tongue.

_This is not my uncle,_ Zuko thought bitterly. _But it is all I have left._

There was a sharp knock on the door, and Toph, the young, blind earthbender, walked into his room.

"Hey, Sifu Jerkbender, unless you truly plan to sleep all day, breakfast is waiting for you."

Zuko paused. "Yeah, okay," He said at last. "Tell them I'm coming."

Toph turned to leave but decided against it. "It's Iroh's birthday, isn't it," She stated calmly, although Zuko caught the grief in her voice.

"Yeah," He sighed. "And I still have no idea where he is."

"Do . . ."Toph paused awkwardly, for once lost for words. "I mean, you don't think he's–"

"No," Zuko said suddenly, standing up. "I know he's still alive. C'mon, I'm starving."

Toph opened her mouth as if she was about to contribute more to the conversation, but closed it again and left without a word. Zuko looked back at Iroh's portrait one more time and followed her.

* * *

"Well, well, look who's descended on high to mingle with the common peasants," Katara remarked sarcastically as Zuko walked into their small eating area. Toph shot her a warning look with sightless eyes.

"Yeah, well, um, good morning to you to," Zuko muttered dejectedly, taking his steaming bowl of rice and sitting beyond the group's ring of people.

Katara watched him as if internally battling wether or not to ask him what was wrong, and what caused his unusual lack of anger, but Toph interrupted.

"It's his uncle's birthday today," She muttered quietly to Katara.

"The uncle who–"

"Helped us, yeah." Toph paused and tipped her head. "I can feel his heartbeat from here– Katara, he's really angry and upset. Maybe you should–"

"Look, obviously you can't _see_ that he wants to be left alone right now," The older Waterbender snapped, angry at the mention of going to talk to him. (And completely disregarding the fact that only a moment ago she had been contemplating the same thing.) "I'm not his personal psychiatrist. I'm sure he can handle this on his own."

"Whatever, Sugar Queen," Toph sighed in return. "It would probably be best if he didn't do anything rash, though. Aang needs him– he can't leave."

"I told you. He can handle himself well enough, as we saw when he was chasing us around the world."

Toph rolled her faded eyes and walked away, though she could tell that Katara was still sending Zuko worried looks.

* * *

"Sokka, wait up!" Zuko yelled as Sokka disappeared around the hallway's corner.

Sokka stopped and let him catch up, lazily flicking his boomerang up and catching it in his hand. "Yeah?"

"Uhh . . ." Zuko stammered unintelligently, catching his breath. "Uh, remember, when, uh, you were tracked down by that giant mole-rattish thing that, uh, found you at the convent–"

"Yeah, with the creepy lady on it's back that used Katara's necklace to track us down. And the monster that tried to kill us all with its poisonous tongue," Sokka stuck out his own tongue as if trying to emphasize what body part he was talking about. "Sure," He shrugged casually, as if a near-death experience made no difference in his memory. "I know who you're talking about."

"Yeah, well, um, you never happened to, uh _see_ the, uh, creepy lady again, did you?"

Sokka looked surprised. "Well, no. I mean, it's not like we exactly looked for her, you know, but she was probably taken captive. Or turned into a nun at the convent." He grinned at the thought.

"Yeah, okay," Zuko said, turning away. "It probably wouldn't have worked anyway."

"What? What wouldn't have worked?"

Zuko cringed, as if he had not realized that he had still been speaking out loud. "Nothing. I, uh, was just wondering what happened to her."

Sokka frowned. "Why? If you bring her back here, we'll all kill you, and Katara will be jealous."

Zuko turned back around, surprised. "Jealous? Why?"

Sokka let his boomerang fall to the ground next to him and covered his mouth with his hand in mock-regret. "Oops, I've said too much," He exclaimed.

"_There_ you guys are!" Said a voice behind them. Both of the teenagers jumped and looked at Aang, who was standing behind them, glider-staff in hand. "Zuko, what happened to fire-bending lessons this morning?"

"Right, coming," Zuko brushed past Sokka, who gave him a deliberately suspicious glare, and followed Aang down the hall.

"I still want to know why!" Sokka called after him.

Zuko shook his head. "No, you don't," He muttered to himself.

**A/N Yeah, I know it's not exciting yet. It's . . . nothing, yet, really. But never fear, bold readers, for more is coming! Soon! (Because summer is here and I have lots of time!) And I know that so far it may seem a little bit Toph/Zuko, but that is **_**not**_** going to happen. It's still Zutara.**


	2. Zuko's Lie

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, a working printer, a million dollars or a hotel.**

**Chapter Two**

**Zuko's Lie**

"Hi-ya!" Aang pushed his fist outward towards Zuko, who stood nearly ten feet away, releasing a small ball of fire that wavered and went out not even halfway across the space.

Zuko hardly noticed this feeble attempt at firebending, nor did he hear Aang's ninja-like yells as he tried each move his instructor had given him. His mind was far above them, where he was trying to give himself a bird's-eye view of the surrounding land. When he had been following the group to the Temple, he had hardly ever looked down below his war balloon, a mistake he now sorely regretted. And yet it would look too suspicious if he flew up to look by himself on Appa . . . Toph was blind, she wouldn't be able to tell what he was doing . . . He could tell them he was looking for something he dropped on the way . . . It was a feeble lie, but could work . . . He would ask Toph–

"Take . . . that!" A blast of fire came from Aang's direction and Zuko barely snapped from his thoughts in time to bend it back towards his pupil. To his great shock, Aang was standing only a foot away, looking surprised with himself while staring in disbelief at his smoking fist.

"Good job," Zuko said, hoping he sounded convincing enough to belie the fact that he had not been paying attention.

Aang grinned. "Cool! So, can I try it again? Huh? Please? I really, really want to!"

"No," Zuko said, with such finality that Aang's face fell but he persisted no more. "Okay, well, tomorrow, then?" Seeing his teacher nod, he snapped open his glider and jumped off the balcony, calling behind him, "See ya!"

Zuko, however, was already walking down the tall stone hallways, marching purposefully as if on a world-saving mission. He passed an open room full of glittering fountains where Katara was practicing waterbending, and another, stone room where Sokka was fighting an invisible enemy. Neither seemed to notice as he walked by.

Toph was sitting alone in the kitchen area, which Zuko was thankful for, soaking the remaining tender areas of burn from her feet.

"Toph," Zuko said to her, restraining from whispering so as not to sound suspicious. "Since, uh, you seem to not be doing anything, uh, really interesting, I was wondering if you wanted to take Appa on a brief flight with, uh, me."

Toph looked at him suspiciously.

"I, uh, think I left something up there when I was camping . . . Or, ummm, dropped it when I was flying."

The young earthbender shrugged. "Sure."

* * *

"So . . . What are you looking for?" Toph asked when they were flying.

"Oh, uh, something." Zuko replied. He wished he had thought this plan through a little better.

"Like . . ." Toph urged.

"Something I was going to give to Katara," He invented wildly. "A . . . a necklace that was, um, all blue and, um, stuff."

Toph snorted. "Well, at least you can remember what color it is."

Zuko looked over the saddle in an attempt to map the land below him, but the trees blurred with lakes and lakes faded into meadows and the meadows melted into more trees.

"I guess I'm never going to find it by flying around," He sighed.

He must have sounded as dejected as he was, because, in a voice that carried what might have been pity (although Zuko hardly dared to believe it, coming from Toph), she said, "I'll walk around with you, if you like. I bet I'll be able to feel it, especially if it has stones in it."

"No," Zuko said quickly. "It doesn't. I might have dropped it in the Temple somewhere."

His companion looked dissatisfied with this answer, but said nothing.

* * *

"Katara," Toph said in a low voice over dinner. "I need to tell you something."

Katara stacked the bowls and walked away from the small crowd, into the shadows.

"Zuko is planning something stupid," Toph rushed.

"Isn't he always? Last time I checked, chasing us around the world wasn't exactly smart–"

"No," Toph interrupted, in attempt to save herself from another one of the waterbender's anti-Zuko rants. "He hasn't been himself today– "

"You mean he hasn't been a cruel, evil–"

Toph ignored her and continued, "I told you at breakfast, today's his uncle's birthday and I think Zuko is going to try and find him. He's been in a thoughtful mood–"

"Yes, I noticed, it looks painful."

Toph, finally tired of Katara not listening to her, stomped her foot (which shook the floor) and shouted," FINE! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO ME, THEN DON'T! JUST DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!"

A sudden hush fell over the group, and everyone's eyes fell on the pair. Katara brushed herself off and said loudly, "It doesn't matter, Toph, nobody will care if he leaves."

Zuko, who had been sitting closest to the group but hadn't been paying attention to the conversation until now, quietly got up and left without a word. Katara, who had practically not realized what she had said until then, covered her mouth with her hands, her cheeks turning red. Her eyes looked almost like they were brimming with tears. "Oh, no," She muttered.

"S'okay," Sokka said casually. He was the only one of the main group who had heard her comment. Everybody else had gone back to eating and talking. "He probably didn't even hear you . . . He's been acting strange lately." He joined the conversation without another word to his sister.

* * *

The moon rose as a tiny eyelash sliver that night, hanging on heaven's invisible string while traveling slowly across the sky. The stars around it flickered and winked, as if they were the eyes to the smile, watching with amusement as Toph crept into Katara's room in the dead of night.

"Psst," She hissed.

Katara jumped and pulled a knife-sharp string of water from a small bowl on her bedside table. "Toph," She whispered, letting the water fall back into the bowl. What in the whole _nation_ are you doing?"

Toph sat on the bed, casually, and said in an even voice, "Zuko's gone."

"What?" Katara yelped.

"I told you," Toph whispered. "Thinking seems kinda unnatural for him, you know, and yet he was doing it all day. He asked me to come with him to look for something he lost, but he was anxious about something–"

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Katara hissed, following Toph's example and speaking in a whisper.

"I _tried_ Sugar Queen, but you were so obsessed with insulting Zuko that you didn't listen!"

Katara disregarded this. "So what do you want _me_ to do about it?" She asked, although she had a growing feeling of dread as to what the reply would be.

"Come with me," Toph said, and Katra's stomach felt like it had dropped to the floor. "We have to go find him!"

"No! That's just stupid! We have no idea where he is or what he's doing!"

Toph sighed and replied in a voice that suggested she was talking to a stubborn two-year-old, "He can't be far, he just left under an hour ago. And he's going to find his uncle, I bet you anything."

Katara was quiet. Toph could almost hear her brain working, weighing the options.

"Fine," She said quietly, standing up and pulling her blue watertribe robes over herself. "We'll go look for him."

And together they stole into the darkness.

**A/N: Okay, the last line's a bit cheesy. But, hey, I'm tired. I can't update this coming week . . . maybe later. I'll try. This chapter was a little slow-moving, I know, but at least I managed (somehow) to get the plot revealed. Part of it, anyway. :D.**


	3. Darkness

**Disclaimer: Me no own 'dis Avatar suff. **

**Chapter Three**

**Darkness**

Zuko pushed aside another thick, branch-like vine as he stumbled through the forest, his feet finding rocks that his eyes had failed to notice and tripping over them, always managing to catch himself on a tree branch before he hit the moist, cool earth below him. The darkness felt like it was crushing him, pure black without a single glimmer of light; the stars had long since disappeared behind the curtain of the forest's tree canopy.

Zuko could not shake the feeling that he was being watched, though wether by curious animals or something more sinister he could not tell. He was sure he had left the rest of the group still sleeping, so it was impossible that he had been followed by them– even if they had realized he was gone and were on the search, they no doubt would take Appa. Zuko knew from his earlier flying experience that the cover the trees made over the ground would protect him from prying eyes from above.

Still preoccupied with his thoughts, Zuko had not bothered to notice the large root that was protruding from the ground right where his left foot was about to be placed. His boot was caught and, unable to catch himself, he went flying forward to land, face-down, in the dirt. His large leather knapsack, which he had packed with a sleeping roll, food and water before he left, went flying from his back to land with an unexpectedly large crash into the undergrowth several feet away. There was a smash and a small tinkle of broken glass.

Zuko sat up and spat the mouthful of dirt he had received from his fall into a nearby bush, cleaning his face with the back of his hand. The dirt was then wiped, only subconsciously, onto the legs of his pants. He glared at the root, still standing in an arch over the ground before diving back into it, cursing it for giving him such an unneeded procrastination. He ran his hand over his cheek again and realized with a start that it was bleeding, having been cut on a dark grey, and very sharp, rock that was laying innocently on the ground, although it glistened slightly with his blood. Zuko glared reproachfully at this inanimate object also.

He found his bag and began digging through it in order to find the object he was sure had broken. Sure enough, when he pulled it out, the portrait of Iroh was now surrounded by several jagged edges of broken glass. Zuko ran his hand carefully over the picture to make sure it had not been damaged, but the heel of his hand caught an edge of the glass and was cut open, bleeding rather badly. Zuko cursed inwardly at everything and everyone who had ever crossed his path and decided to take out his pain and frustration on a nearby tree. However, far from feeling relieved of his stress, kicking it had now only given him a throbbing foot. Replacing the portrait, he closed the bag rather unceremoniously and threw it across his shoulder, so that the strap went diagonal across his chest.

Now that he was sure midnight had come and passed, the darkness that surrounded Zuko felt darker, somehow, and much more silent. The rustling and other slight movements of the forest's small animals had decreased considerably, leaving Zuko to feel like he was the only living thing in the woods. His cheek and hand stung rather painfully, while his foot wobbled dangerously every time Zuko put his weight on it. This plan, which had seemed so smart and well thought-out earlier that day now seemed remarkably childish.

Zuko, finally admitting defeat for the night, sat down, sheltered by the low branches of a tree. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and waited for daybreak.

* * *

Katara and Toph were following Zuko's exact trail, only roughly a mile or so behind him. Truthfully, it was not hard to miss; broken vines hung limply from trees; stones were overturned as if heavy feet and recently passed, and the thick layer of ferns that covered the dirt were trampled, torn and bruised.

"He was having some trouble, wasn't he?" Katara said to Toph, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah, I guess, I dunno," Toph replied in a noncommital tone. She was having to concentrate extremely hard on not tripping on sticks; she could not feel wood with her feet.

"So, where do you think he'll look for Iroh?" Katara asked conversationally, waving the torch she had brought in front of her to scope out the trail.

"I don't know," Toph replied through gritted teeth, plainly annoyed. "Maybe the Earth Kingdom."

"Maybe. That's an awfully long way to go on foot," Katara sighed remorsefully, desperately hoping that they caught up with him before he reached his destination.

"Yeah," Toph agreed, hoping she said it with such finality that Katara would stop talking and let her concentrate. Katara, however, seemed to miss the hint.

"So, how do we convince him to come back? Should we kidnap him if he refuses? Or just let him get captured by the fire nation and get it over with?"

"Sure, that sounds great," Toph said, not paying attention. It was a moment until she realized what Katara had said. "No! I mean, ahh, whatever. Just, I, uh, dunno."

Katara, smirking, held the torch so it cast a ring of silent, flickering light into the trees ahead of them. They walked on for an hour before Toph stopped suddenly, reaching the point where Zuko had fallen earlier.

"Katara, stop," She said in an urgent whisper.

The older girl obeyed without question.

"There's someone here– actually, a lot of people . . . quick, put out the torch!"

Pulling a string of water from the pouch at her hip, Katara doused the flames with a loud hiss.

"Someone's coming!" Toph hissed at Katara, fear fresh in her voice. "Run!"

The last command came as a terrified yell, and the two girls took off at full speed, crashing through the jungle as fast as they could, adrenaline alone keeping them upright as they tripped over and over again.

Katara heard someone gaining steadily on her, and silently pleaded her legs to go faster, pushing them beyond what she normally could run.

But it was no use.

Katara attempted to turn abruptly and loose her pursuer, but he was way ahead of her and they collided head-on.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed, after a moment of gaining her breath, which had been knocked out of her.

Zuko slapped his hand over her mouth so nothing but the sound of gasping breath could escape.

"Shut up!" He hissed. "Fire Nation soldiers are right behind us! Where's Toph!"

"Help!" Toph screamed from up ahead. Katara and Zuko looked at each other.

**

* * *

****A/N Sorry this chapter isn't very good. I kinda wrote it in a hurry, and the last part I wrote so fast I barely remember what it was about. :D Anyway, if you like The Chronicles of Narnia, I just published a fanfic over in that section. It's called Sanctuary. Please review!**


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